As part of the ongoing exhibit of posters in Special Collections for Veterans Day, the students who created the exhibits also created entries for this blog. We will be posting these over the rest of the month of November.
“Women! Help America’s Sons Win the War. Buy U.S. Government Bonds of the 2nd Liberty Loan of 1917” Edward & Deutsch Litho. Co., Chicago. R.H. Portenus, artist. 1917. Poster produced in America, 75.6 x 50.2 cm
The poster entitled, “Women! Help America’s Sons Win the War,” was produced by the U.S. Treasury Department to promote the Second Liberty Loan of 1917. It was designed by artist R.H. Porteous, and published by the Chicago-based printing company Edwards and Deutsch Litho. Co. Porteous’ poster features an elderly woman with her arms outstretched and reaching out to the viewer in a welcoming way. She stands in front of a draped American flag. This image was meant to target women, but more specifically, mothers. In contrast to the warm and inviting character featured in the foreground, the background contains the depiction of a battle in action. U.S. soldiers are shown fighting on both land and sea. The message of this poster emphasizes the need for women’s patriotic support, by illustrating the feelings of worry and anxiety that loving mothers have for their soldier-sons.
In addition to being a part of the collection of World War I posters in the Special Collections department at the University of Tulsa, other copies of this print can be found in several other Universities’ special collections.
Works Cited
Rother, L. (2008). World War I Posters and the Female Form: Asserting Ownership of the American Woman. Retrieved Oct, 2012, from Cleveland State University and OhioLINK. http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Rother Laura.pdf?csu1211918047
Rawls, Walton. Wake Up, America!: World War I and the American Poster. New York,
New York: Abbeville Press, 1988.
— Guest post by Colleen Burke
